No more periods? Oral contraception and menstrual suppression

Abstract

Oral contraception, or ‘The Pill’, is widely used by women to control how often they have a period. In many countries using oral contraception in this way has remained unofficial practice. However, in 2003 the first FDA approved Extended Cycle Oral Contraception (ECOC) was launched. This research briefing summarises the findings of a PhD project that looked at how iomedicine, pharmaceuticals, the news-media, and women themselves debated and talked about controlling periods through oral contraception.